If Only
by SmoothTalkingWeaponsmith
Summary: A short one-shot that takes place at the end of V3. Just thought it would be interesting to twist some events that take place in the end of V3. Enjoy!
She kissed him. It took him over half a year of living with her, but Jaune finally got the message. All this time he wasn't sure if he wanted to just be her friend, or something more. But now he realised something, he could be both. In that moment they shared, they forgot about everything that was going on around them. All the Grimm. All the destruction. All the death. Then Jaune remembered it all, and what she was planning to do. He only needed to look at her to understand what was going to happen next and in that instant, he knew what he needed to do. She put her hand on his chest.

"I'm Sorry" she said.

She'd barely even finished saying it when Jaune grabbed her and threw her backwards, just like they'd practiced all those nights on the rooftop. He knew that she wasn't expecting it, and that was his advantage. She fell into the locker and the door shut behind her. He immediately began typing in co-ordinates to the keypad, he didn't care where it went as long as she was safe.

"Jaune, please no!" she shouted.

"I have to be the one to do this!" she pleaded with him.

Jaune didn't say a word. He looked up. He looked at her, for what he knew would be the last time, and tried to remember everything about her. They'd spent months together but he'd never seen her as clearly as he did in this moment. The lockers rockets exploded into life and then, she was gone. She was gone, but she was safe. Jaune took a moment, watching her leave. He said a silent goodbye and then moved into the tower.

"That's the hard part done" he thought to himself.

"And now for the even harder part"

Jaune moved inside the tower, what was left of it anyway. He pried the doors of the elevator open, only to find that they weren't an option due to the giant holes in the floor and ceiling. Luckily for him the CCTS had stairs. Unluckily for him was the fact that there were too many to count, but he was out of options and more urgently, out of time. He sprinted, taking as many steps at a time as he could push himself. The higher he got, the larger the weight on him was. The weight of what he was about to do, he didn't even know how he was going to do it, he just had to. As he climbed those stairs he thought back on his time at beacon; getting lost on his first day and meeting Ruby, his failed attempts to win over Weiss, going to prom in a dress, trying to figure out what the deal was with Ren and Nora, and then he thought of Pyrrha. It was always Pyrrha. Every stupid idiotic thing he did, she was always there to laugh it off. Even when Jaune had confessed that he had lied to get into beacon and then rejected her when she was only trying to help, she stayed by his side. Pyrrha hadn't just taught Jaune to fight, but she'd also taught him what it meant to be a leader and also what it meant to rely on and be relied on by friends. For all that, and more, Jaune owed her his life. He was approaching the top floor, Ozpins' office, he could tell by the screeching of that giant Grimm he had spotted earlier. He wasn't eager to take this thing on, but he had no choice. He had to, for his friends, for Pyrrha.

Jaune ran through the door into Ozpins' office, only to find that she was waiting for him. He recognized her almost immediately, she was one of the students from Haven competing in the tournament. He'd never spoken to her but had seen her wandering around with two other students from Haven. He always got a bad feeling whenever he saw them, and now he knew why. Jaune leapt sideways, narrowly missing the lethal blast of fire she had thrown at him. He was able to side step the rest of her shots too, until he saw a larger vortex he knew he couldn't dodge. He threw up his shield instinctively. He was able to hold the flames back but he was entirely engulfed in the vortex around him. He only had one option; charge onwards. Jaune fought against the flames, using every bit of his strength to press on. He started with a step until he was charging towards her at full speed. He got in close and then swung his sword upwards, only for it to meet her hand and stop dead. He didn't even have time to react before she punched him in the gut, throwing him against the wall. Jaune got up, only to see her flying at him like some sort of airship. He threw his body sideways allowing him to barely dodge the attack. That was another thing Jaune had learnt with Pyrrha; what he lacked in strength, he made up for in agility, a trait he was more than grateful for in this situation. Jaune regained his balance and saw his opening. He collapsed his shield and threw it, it still weighed the same, so it would still hurt the same when it hit the mysterious girl. The shield bashed her and she was off guard. Jaune charged. He tackled her and they went spinning, fighting for control in mid-air. Luckily, Jaune landed on top and was able to hold the mysterious girl in a headlock with his sword. Unluckily for Jaune, the large Grimm he had seen earlier (which looked bigger now he was up-close) was circling around for an attack. He didn't know what do, he just froze. The mysterious girl used this lapse to break his sword. She punched him the gut, again, and again he flew backwards.

Jaune was disorientated, the tower around was falling but the girl was still standing, and to make matters even worse his aura had broken. He threw his shield again but she was able to deflect it with little effort. She materialised a bow right into her hands. Jaune only noticed it as he stood up, he was too late to dodge the arrow coming straight towards him. The arrow impaled his shin and he screamed in pain. He collapsed to his knee and looked up, he saw the mysterious girl ready another arrow. He knew this was it, this was the end. He thought about all his friends he would miss. He thought about Pyrrha and everything she had given him. It didn't matter if this was it, Jaune had no regrets. He had won. He had given everyone enough time to evacuate the civilians and themselves, and more importantly, he had save Pyrrha. He looked directly at his killer and said nothing, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing him in pain. She smiled at him, an annoying smirk that would be the last thing Jaune would see, but he didn't care. He had already won. She released the Arrow and Jaune was surrounded by light.

If ignorance is bliss, then Jaune was in heaven for those two seconds after he woke up. Because in those two seconds, he remembered nothing. He didn't remember his name. He didn't remember Beacon. He didn't even remember the pain he felt every day. It had been months since that night but he had nightmares ever since; sometimes he was watching her die, sometimes he died with her and sometimes, very rarely though, he died and saved her. Jaune had heard that people felt what could be described as a hole in their heart when they lost someone they loved. He didn't feel a hole where his heart should be. If there was one, it was full of nothing but anger and hatred. Anger and hatred for the ones that caused this and, himself. He sat up and buried his hands in his head.

If only he had stopped her.

If only he was with her in the tower.

If only he was stronger.

If only…


End file.
